This Shabbos is called Shabbos Zachor. It gets its title from the Mitzvah that we fulfill by reading the portion of the Torah that tells us to Zachor – remember – the nation of Amalek, who hated G-d and the Jewish nation, and attacked us shortly after we were miraculously freed from Egypt.
Every year we read the portion of remembering Amalek on the Shabbos that precedes the Holiday of Purim, for the wicked Haman was a descendant of Agag, a King of the Amalekites.
With the ongoing war in Gaza and with antisemitism raising its ugly head across the globe, we have a clearer understanding of Amalek’s vile hate towards us. His hatred for us was embedded right from our onset as a nation, and was a precursor to all those who hated us throughout our long history.
This defies logic. We see intelligent people protest against us claiming and chanting ridiculous slogans when Israel is doing what it has to in order to protect its citizens from being innocently and brutally attacked by a people with hatred running through their veins.
The Torah tells us, V’lo Yoreh Elokim – the Amalekites have no fear of G-d. They despise the Jewish Nation because we represent G-d. We are called G-d’s first-born because it was through us that G-d publicly displayed His might and power in order to free us from Egypt and He split the sea on our behalf.
Amalekites have an issue with us being around. Haman and Hitler promulgated this same idea. Hamas and its cohorts capitalize on it as well.
It is truly amazing that we, the Jewish people, are still around and going strong. It is because we remain focused and loyal to our ideals – our Torah and Mitzvos and our relationship with and devotion to Hashem. Therefore, G-d guarantees that we will always be around! Our enemies know this, and can’t stand us because of it.
Although this Shabbos is called Zachor – in reference to remembering Amalek – the Torah also uses the word Zachor in connection with the holy day of Shabbos. The fourth commandment begins with, “Zachor es Yom Hashabbos L’Kadsho.” Remember the Holy day of Shabbos to keep it holy. In fact, at the conclusion of our daily Shacharis/morning prayers, we recite a Psalm of the day, and we introduce it with “Hayom Yom… Today is (we insert the day) of the Shabbos.” By mentioning Shabbos during each day of the week we continually fulfill the remembrance of the holy day of Shabbos.
This week, the following news item caught my attention:
Israeli comedian Guy Hochman announced on Saturday evening that he would fully observe the next Shabbat as a call for unity in Israel.
Next Shabbat is the one directly before Purim. It is traditionally known as Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat of remembering, due to the special reading of the commandment to wipe out Amalek.
“I may not be religious, but I am a very proud Jew, and we all remember, and need to remember, October 7th,” he told his tens of thousands of followers. “Next Shabbat, Shabbat Zachor – I will keep Shabbat for the first time in my life.”
“I am keeping Shabbat for the unity of Israel, and for our heroic soldiers at the front. I say that we should keep one Shabbat, stop the divisive discourse, and bring the spirit of a shared destiny from the front to our homes.”
“For one Shabbat, turn off the screens. We won’t let anyone divide us again. On Shabbat, we were murdered for being Jews. On Shabbat, we will stand up and say that we are proud to be Jews, so that any enemies who think that our nation is crumbling will know that the Eternal Nation will not break that easily.
‘Come along with me, let’s get one hundred thousand Jews to keep Shabbat for the first time, like me. We’ll show our enemies what kind of nation we are. On Shabbat, they came to murder us, and on Shabbat, we will stand up and say that we are proud to be Jewish. ‘Remember what Amalek did to you,’’ he concluded.
A person may think to himself, ‘Who am I to embrace the Holy Shabbos? After all, I’m not so religious in other areas of Jewish law.’ The Talmud (Tractate Shabbos118) tells us something astounding and I think it is to address this kind of discouraging rationale. “Any Jew who observes the Shabbos, even if he worshiped idols like the generation of Enosh – a grandson of Adam during whose life 1/3 of the world was destroyed due to idolatry – G-d forgives him! Such is the power of the observance of the holy day of Shabbos.”
This is because the Torah calls the Shabbos the testimonial of a Jew that G-d created the world in six days and ceased from creative activities on the Seventh day. Since we are the only nation to be instructed to abide by the rules of Shabbos, our Shabbos observance is a confirmation that G-d created the world.
Remembering the Shabbos is the antidote to antisemitism as well, for our Sages tell us if the entirety of the Jewish nation would be unified by observing a single Shabbos, it would be so powerful and effective that it would immediately usher our redemption – the Moshiach – when all people throughout the world will recognize G-d, peace will prevail, and we will return to our uncontested Land of Israel!
